Click here to view the manual to this game.Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a scrolling shooter video game published by Parker Brothers in 1982 for the Atari 2600 and in 1983 for the Mattel Intellivision. It was the first Star Wars video game.
In the game, the player controls a snowspeeder to battle against Imperial AT-AT walkers on the planet Hoth. The goal is to hold off the walkers as long as possible before they blow up the power generator at the Rebels' Echo Base. The difficulty levels included several variables, including the initial speed of the walkers, whether or not the walkers were solid, and whether or not the walkers included a "smart bomb".
The player can destroy a walker by shooting it repeatedly in the head or torso; shots to the legs are ineffective. As the walker is damaged, it changes colors - transitioning from black (undamaged) through various shades of gray, red, and orange to yellow (critically damaged). The player can also destroy the walkers by shooting a small flashing spot that randomly appears during gameplay. On the Intellivision, the walkers require thirty hits to take down, compared to forty-eight hits on the Atari.
The walkers shoot back at the player, whose speeder also changes colors as it receives damage. The player can land a damaged speeder to repair it. On some game levels, the walkers are solid, meaning that the player can crash into them, damaging them and destroying the player. Other levels include a smart bomb which periodically launches from the flashing port on a walker and follows the player for a time. If the player is hit by the smart bomb his speeder is destroyed. Occasionally, the player is granted the power of The Force. When this happens, the speeder flashes colorfully and becomes invulnerable for a short time.
The game ends when five speeders are destroyed or when the lead walker reaches Echo Base, destroying it. As the game progresses, the walkers move more rapidly, increasing the difficulty level.
Reviewer:
potsmoke66
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favoritefavoritefavorite -
May 14, 2021
Subject:
Not quite true
In advance i'm an Intellidude and never played the Atari release. However i like to point at that this isn't for real the first Star Wars game, it is the first licensed by Lucasfilms but there exists a "Star Wars" for the "RCA Studio 2" console it isn't an official SW game but the title is obvious and the graphics are as well. The game is a simple dogfight between a X-Wing and a Tie Fighter in first person view. Means you only see the opponent fighter in front of you and it is hit automatic as soon the enemy appears in the cross-hair which isn't as easy as it sounds. In the hardest mode a disappearing enemy (leaves screen) means you lost a fighter. You can either choose between the X-Wing or the Tie and also play it human vs. human. From it's general idea it's in my humble opinion better as this game and i do play it sometimes. Sure the graphics are very limited on the Studio 2 but the gameplay is good. Nonetheless i give ESB 4 stars, because even when i owned it for the Inty there was no other SW game (Studio 2 or the MPC wasn't known well in Switzerland thus i had no idea back then, overall videogaming was neglected here, it was a thing for stupid idiots like me).
Reviewer:
randomatrix
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December 5, 2016
Subject:
Well then,
I guess you could have game Bird vs Camel.
Reviewer:
welpi
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March 10, 2016
Subject:
Good Game
A litte bit defender Style but the best Star Wars license Game on early Platforms. Das Spiel kann man heute noch spielen, wobei es nicht sehr abwechslungsreich ist, aber das waren ja die wenigsten Spiele auf dem VCS. Es geht darum, den Angriff der Walker auf Hoth zu begegnen, bevor sie die Energiestation erreichen. Dabei kommt zum ersten Mal auf dem VCS etwas wie ein Boss-Battle-Feeling auf. Die At-At's brauchen Dutzende Treffer bis sie down gehen, während man dem Raketenbeschuss ausweicht. Das eigene Schiff und die Gegner verändern je nach eingesteckten Treffern ihre Farbe.
Reviewer:
Filipco
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
February 21, 2016
Subject:
Failed to download game data!
Failed to download game data! On all the games what am I doing wrong. HELP!!!
Reviewer:
TheBeast98
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favoritefavoritefavoritefavorite -
August 15, 2015
Subject:
nice!
It works but you have to find the controls first...
otherwise great game!! Anybody who liked star wars would have got this back then...
Reviewer:
kevlegs
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December 29, 2013
Subject:
Hmmm
Are they planning on making it actually work?